The “fonts not embedded” error means your PDF references fonts by name instead of including the actual font data inside the file. KDP needs embedded fonts because their printing system can’t access your computer’s font library — if a font isn’t physically inside the PDF, KDP substitutes it with a default that destroys your layout. According to KDP’s file creation guidelines, all fonts must be fully embedded, not subset-embedded, not linked.
Why fonts don’t get embedded
Three common causes:
- Your PDF export settings don’t enable embedding. Word, Google Docs, and some other tools don’t embed fonts by default in their PDF export.
- The font license prohibits embedding. Some commercial fonts have licensing restrictions that prevent PDF embedding. Your export tool silently skips them.
- You’re using system fonts that can’t be embedded. Certain system fonts (especially on Windows) have embedding restrictions in their metadata.
How to check if fonts are embedded
In Adobe Acrobat
File → Properties → Fonts tab. Every font should show “(Embedded)” or “(Embedded Subset)” next to its name. If you see just the font name with no embedding note, that font is not embedded.
In a free PDF viewer
Use a tool like PDF24 or run this command if you have pdffonts installed:
pdffonts your-book.pdfThe “emb” column shows “yes” for embedded fonts and “no” for missing ones.
How to fix it
From Microsoft Word
Word’s PDF export sometimes fails to embed fonts. Two approaches:
Option A: Print to PDF (better)
- File → Print → select “Microsoft Print to PDF” (Windows) or “Save as PDF” (Mac)
- This method embeds fonts more reliably than File → Save As → PDF
Option B: Force embedding
- File → Options → Save → check “Embed fonts in the file”
- Check “Embed all characters” (not just characters in use)
- Save as PDF
If the font still won’t embed, it likely has a licensing restriction. Replace it with an embeddable alternative — see font recommendations below.
From Adobe InDesign
File → Export → Adobe PDF (Print):
- Under the “Advanced” tab, check “Subset fonts when percent of characters used is less than: 100%”
- This embeds all glyphs. InDesign usually handles this correctly by default.
From Google Docs
Google Docs exports PDF with fonts embedded by default, but only for Google’s built-in fonts. If you used a custom font via a browser extension, it won’t be embedded. Stick to built-in fonts in Google Docs or use a desktop app.
From Affinity Publisher
File → Export → PDF → ensure “Embed fonts” is checked (it’s on by default).
Cambric embeds all fonts automatically in every PDF export. It ships with 18+ professional book fonts built in — no licensing issues, no missing glyphs.
Get Cambric — $199
Safe fonts that always embed
If your current font won’t embed, replace it with one of these — all are embeddable, professionally appropriate for book interiors, and available across platforms:
| Font | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Garamond | Fiction, memoir, literary | Classic book font, compact |
| Palatino / Book Antiqua | Nonfiction, literary fiction | Wide, generous |
| Georgia | Any genre | Designed for clarity |
| Caslon | Historical, traditional | Warm, elegant |
| Baskerville | Literary, contemporary | Clean, refined |
Preview these in the context of a real book page with the Book Fonts tool.
”Embedded Subset” vs “Fully Embedded”
- Fully embedded: the entire font file is in the PDF. Larger file size but guaranteed to work.
- Subset embedded: only the characters actually used in your text are included. Smaller file. KDP accepts subset embedding — this is fine.
- Not embedded: the font is referenced by name only. This is what causes the error.
Both full and subset embedding pass KDP’s review. Subset is preferred because it keeps your file smaller.
Related guides
- KDP file rejection fixes — all common KDP errors
- Best fonts for book interiors — font selection guide
- Book Fonts preview tool — try fonts before committing
- KDP Book Calculator — verify all specs before upload